In the latest legal round between Apple and Epic Games, the Fortnite maker has asked a federal judge to hold Apple in contempt of court, stating that the company has failed to properly adhere to a court order to open its App Store to third-party payments.
This is according to a report by Bloomberg, which cites court documents.
Earlier this year Apple agreed to allow third-party apps sold in the U.S. to link to a developer website to process payments for in-app purchases.
This followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal in January to delve in on a three-year court battle between the two companies.
Credit: Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
While Apple followed through with this, Epic said in a court filing that the technology giant made the links “commercially unusable” thanks to a series of rules and fees.
Epic also stated that Apple is preventing developers from using external links that resemble a button and is stopping them from making written statements about purchasing items on the web instead of Apple’s App Store.
Epic also claims that Apple’s guidelines still include language preventing apps that operate across multiple platforms from encouraging users to use other payment options.
Apple said it has been in full compliance with the injunction, and that it regulates external links to “protect user privacy and security, maintain the integrity of Apple’s ecosystem, promote the flow of information, avoid user confusion, and enable efficient review of developers’ apps by App Review.”
The dispute began after Apple disallowed Epic’s Fortnite game from the App Store as the company found a way to work around to paying a 30% fee on customers’ in-app purchases.
Apple’s feud with Epic has also played out in Europe, as covered by ChannelNews.
Last week Apple reversed its decision to block Epic from its App Store and devices in Europe, following pressure from European regulators.
Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, said Apple’s decision was n retaliation over the gaming company’s antitrust lobbying, its lawsuit against Apple, and criticisms of the tech giant’s App Store policies.
The case is Epic Games Inc. v. Apple Inc., 20-cv-05640, US District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland).
Tim Sweeney Epic Games CEO
